Movie News

Oliver Stone Branded 'Part of the Great Satan'

By:
WENN.com

Jul 02, 2007 | 4:11am EDT

Director Oliver Stone's bid to make a biopic about Iran's President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has been met with the statesman's stern disapproval.

The maverick moviemaker, who has chronicled the lives of Richard Nixon, Jim Morrison and Alexander the Great on the big screen, has requested official support from Iran's Cultural Heritage & Tourism Organization.

However, Ahmadinejad himself has already cast his opinion on the project, branding the director "part of the Great Satan," Iran's standard term of abuse for the U.S.

The President's media adviser says, "While it is true that Oliver Stone is considered to be among the opposition in the U.S., the opposition is still part of the Great Satan.

"We believe that the American cinema system is devoid of all culture and art and is only used as a device."

Ahmadinejad's adviser Javan Shamghadri adds Stone's request might be considered if he could secure the rights for Iranian moviemakers to make a film about President George W. Bush and the C.I.A. without interference.

Stone upset many Iranian scholars with his depiction of Persians in 2004 flop Alexander.

Hollywood recently came under fire from the same scholars for the depiction of Persians in hit action movie 300.